Time to leave

Gents

After much thought and soul searching I have decided to quit CF.

Having played this wonderful game for about 18 years I leave with a heavy heart.

Primarily my disillusion with all things Middlesbrough FC has led me to make this decision. Playing this game in the mid-eighties when Boro were signing Juninho, Emerson, Ravanelli and then moving onto Boksic, Merson, Gazza, Ziege, Mendieta (and many others) was awesome and helped me to glory in CF with Prem and European Cup wins.

Now we see Willo Flood, Barry Robson etc and can't even keep Sean St Ledger after a loan deal that seemed to go horribly wrong.

Furthermore the fact that the likes of home-grown Downing, Johnson, Cattermole etc have gone is hard to take even though they were inevitable losses given the financial state of the club.

To keep with my strategy of having real life Boro players would mean I had to lose Huth, Digard, Alves, Downing, Johnson, Tuncay and Shawky(!!) from my current first team. I can't see myself competing at the top of the Premiership unles I started competing for the likes of Rooney, Drogba etc

Even the recent signings from north of the border (encouraging as they are) will not help me much in CF in the short or long term

Sorry to Will and Matt for not replying to their recent messages.

Apart from the real life Boro situation I've not had the buzz of snatching the post from the postman for a while, neither have I been desperate to get the result from Paul, the forum, text message etc.

I leave the club financially well off (£178m in the bank mainly built up through exploiting the share investments before the rules changed a couple of seasons ago). There's a few points on the board in the league but it's a very tight and competitive division as you know.

Life is busy (4 kids, a busy job and Chair of Governors at school etc) and I'm sure I'll find something to fill the time.

I wish you all luck and hope you continue to enjoy this great game for many many years to come.

Best wishes

David

PS - Paul, cheque in the post for the small negative balance. I'll email or PM you soon.

blimey, two in a week, dropping like flies here.

Dave it's a real shame that we've now lost two stalwarts of the game in yourself and Colin. Appreciate your reasons if football isn't doing it for you at the moment and that your personal life is busy. I just wish you could reconsider, football goes through peaks and troughs - maybe next year boro will be among the top two in real life? they might even win the play-offs yet and sign kaka you'd might kick yourself for quitting then!

Honestly though Dave, it's been a pleasure to have shared this game experience with you for all these years. This really is a bolt out of the blue almost. I do wish you all the best and the best we can hope is you change your mind but I can imagine you've given it a lot of thought already and not taken the decision lightly.

Echo everything Stu says.

Has been a really really bad week in the world of hemsoft to loose two of the more established managers is terrible.

understand you reasoning Dave and obviously theres more to life than this game,4 kids!! and u still managed to find the time to get boro to the premiership - your a modern day miricle worker mate!

wish u all the best mate, would be great if you decided to stay on, maybe you could use that money 170 odd million to steamrole your beloved Boro to the very top with the worlds greatest players airing their talents at the riverside.

either way mate all the best

Sorry to see you leave David.

Perhaps you will have a change of heart and come back into the game for a different challange.

Good luck to you.

Hi Dave,

Sorry to see you go, it's been a pleasure to pit my wits against you for all these years. I've always marvelled at the miracles you worked at Boro. You're correct in saying that limiting your universe of players to Boro or ex-Boro ones will not maximise results. I'm sure you could adapt this personal rule to say 6 Boro + 5 others if you wished but obviously that's your choice.

Anyway I wish you all the best in the future.

Take it easy mate and stay in touch,

Dan

Oh no......... what sad times, as someone else has already said two stalwarts gone in the same week.

I associate this game with Dave as we started playing at about the same time, we used to discuss results and tactics on a fortnightly basis all those years ago before the dawn of the internet, talking on the phone for hours all things football and how strange we thought Lee Harrison was, the Leeds supremo at the time! We even got to meet a few times when Stockport played Boro in the League Cup semi finals back in the halcyon days of Danny Bergara.

This game will be the poorer for you leaving mate and I really hope you change your mind, the North East Derby won't be the same without you.

Take care Dave and all the very best to you and your family for the future.

A true game Legend,

All the best in the future Dave

Oh dear, very sorry to see you go Dave. Sounds like you've got an extremely busy life though !

If Boro' get back in the Prem make sure you come back !

Cheers

Matt

Dave,

Very sad news you are leaving.
I understand where you are coming from though mate. I have to admit coming back into the game as pompey is not quite doing the same for me as when i managed my beloved Everton.

All the best mate.


Ross

All the best Dave, shame you are leaving.

If your priorities lie elsewhere, then you are making the right decision.

All the best Dave, hope to see you back someday.

Still think Boro are dull as anything.

Sorry to see that you are leaving too Dave, but can fuly appreciate your reasons!

Take care and stay in touch

All the best Dave, hope you make it back to this game one day!

I might even have Boro player to sell to you by then!!!

Good luck in whatever you do Dave,Shame to see another manager go